bow poundage went down
 

i had my bow turned all the way in last year and it was 68# just checked it tonight cause ive been cranking it back really easy and fast, kinda throws me off a little and its down to 65# is this from string stretch or is it likely the bow limbs have weakend alittle or both. the bow is a 2005 i bought new in jan 06 so it sat on a shelf and i used it for awhile before testing it at 68# last year. any suggestions on getting it back up more toward 70#

RE: bow poundage went down
 

String and cable creep. You need to twist everything up so it's all back to factory spec and you'll have your draw weight back.

RE: bow poundage went down
 

i gotta get one of those pocket bow presses. wish i would have noticed sooner, season starts in two weeks.

RE: bow poundage went down
 

Exactly right and I'm glad to see the correct terminology used regarding string creep.

Stretch is a temporary elongation ie, rubber band.

Creep is a permanant elongation, ie, our stings and cables.

Thanks AP, kudos.

Brad, check your axle to axle and if it is off the factory specs you'll know that your strings and cables creeped, specifically your cables.

RE: bow poundage went down
 

One problem is that your bow may have been tuned without having everything at factory specs. The best thing is to get everything tuned perfectly, measure the critical distances (ata, brace, peep distance) precisely and then record the measurements for referral. This way, nothing will ever move without you knowing it, or at least having the ability to know it.

RE: bow poundage went down
 

yep...the others are right. had that happen last year with factory strings and cables. should been at 67-68lbs. checked it this year and i dont think it was hitting 60:eek: i shoot alot and never noticed because it happens slowly over time...did notice when my bow was thrown out of whack though

RE: bow poundage went down
 

Just a little added info as it can be important. If you weigh the bow with the hand held Cardoza scale it may show less weight than others. My experience has shown these things to be notoriously about 4-5 lbs light.

As the others have said, it's most likely string creep. As the string and cables creep it reduces the prestress on the limbs. Getting things back in spec usually helps.

Don't expect weakening of the limbs. Although it does happen, worst case scenerios show only a couple pounds of weight loss over maybe ten years or more.

RE: bow poundage went down
 

More than likely it is your cables that have creeped . When the string creeps it will actually add draw weight and draw length to your bow. When the cables creep they subtract draw length and draw weight from your bow. I am sure your string has crept some for sure but the cables take more of a beating than the string does IMO.